ON TWO WHEELS

Discover Corsica by bike

Discover Corsica by bike

Take on the GT20, the Grande Traversée de la Corse, a 600-kilometre cyclo-tourism adventure with a total ascent of 10,000 metres. The route, spread over twelve stages, takes in some of the most legendary landscapes on the Isle of Beauty.

The starting point for the Grande Traversée is Bastia, an ancient Genoese town built into the mountainside with its feet in the sea.

Don't forget to try the local speciality: fresh sardines stuffed with brocciu. Once you've eaten your fill, it's time to get on your bike and head for Cap Corse. With the lapping of the waves and the smell of the maquis, the start of the route is smooth, with no major passes, just a few false flats winding gently through fishing villages. The road rebels a little before reaching your first destination, Centuri, a small port renowned for its lobster fishing.

The second stage takes you to Saint-Florent, an ancient Roman town that has become a popular seaside resort, via a road along the coast.

As you round a bend, you'll come to the sublime Anse d'Aliso, with its white sand and crystal-clear water, followed by a series of black pebble beaches dominated by imposing rocky promontories. When you arrive in Saint-Florent, soak up the sunset at one of the many restaurants in the village.

Third stop: the famous Agriates Desert, formerly Corsica's granary, now a haven for wildlife. The road is quiet and sparsely travelled, with rocky hills, valleys, streams and marshes all around you. As you head further inland, the landscape becomes more arid, with several beautiful passes to climb until you reach Belgodère.

On the fourth stage of the GT20, the route winds its way between the balconies of Balagne, those suspended villages so aptly named, before joining the wine route, in the heart of Corsica's garden of holm oaks, pines and chestnut trees, with no major difficulties as far as Calenzana, the starting (or finishing) point for hikers on the GR20.

The two stages that follow, with a break at Galéria, will get your thighs pumping, but they will also take you back to the sea and into the Scandola nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The road ahead takes in the red of the rock, the blue of the Mediterranean, the green of the eucalyptus and a succession of bends offering sumptuous panoramas.

When you arrive in Porto, try one of the city's restaurants, whose menu features the fish of the day.

The seventh stage promises to be an arduous one, with 1,500 metres of ascent, but the reward is a total change of scenery, that of the high mountains, a green and rocky immensity. After a good night's sleep, you head back down towards Corte via a narrow gorge carved into the rock, one of the most sensational routes with breathtaking viewpoints.

It's best to build up your strength in Corte, as the route takes in several beautiful mountain stages: first to Ghisoni through wild, Dantesque landscapes of rock and vegetation, then to Zicavo, surrounded by pines and beech trees, and finally to Zonza, the target village for the eleventh stage.

More than 3,000 metres of ascent in three days, a real challenge for the legs, but a real treat for the eyes, with a profusion of centuries-old forests, authentic villages and views of the mountain peaks.

To round off the Grande Traversée, there's a final long stage to Bonifacio and the far south of the island, via a magnificent road that's as wild as ever, between scrubland and granite boulders. Once you've arrived, the reward is Bonifacio, with its port, citadel and numerous bars and restaurants, sure to revive you after your two-week journey from one end of Corsica to the other.

Labelled mountain bike trails

Two Corsican sites have been awarded the Fédération Française de VTT label. The Balagne, with 15 routes for all levels over 220km, between sea, mountains and picturesque villages, where you can enjoy the scents of the maquis and breathe in the freshness of the forests. Castagniccia, with the Castagniccia Mare è Monti mountain bike site -

Costa Verde: more than 100 km of magnificent trails to experience authentic Corsica.